Sweeter Than Chocolate
by Sadako- Tokumei Kibou
Summary: It's the Winter Thanksgiving Festival, and a certain tomboy has felt love. Kinda funny how chocolate can bring people together.


First fanfic of the new decade, hmm.. Well, this is for a friend of mine who has waited a long time for a BTN fic starring her favorite couple. Hope she enjoys it. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. How unfortunate.

Sweeter Than Chocolate

"You missed a spot."

Frowning, I looked up from wiping one of the round, wooden tables in the Inn. My hand, gently gripping a soft and slightly tattered cloth, was motionless as I met my father's eyes. He stood next to me at the tableside, his eyebrow raised and his left hand pointing at a smidge of sauce near the edge of the table.

I blinked, wondering how I'd missed that. "Sorry, Dad. I'll get that."

I traded the cloth for a spray bottle hanging from a loop in my overalls, and snatched a sponge from the box of cleaning supplies I set on one of the chairs. After soaking the bit of sauce with the cleanser, I scrubbed at it vigorously with the sponge until it vanished. Then I wiped the area until it was as clean and shiny as the rest of the table.

"You also missed a spot at this table here," Dad chided gently, pointing to the table behind me. "And the chairs at that table over there have crumbs on them."

I looked to where he'd been pointing and frowned again to indeed see the evidence on display. I didn't have time to reply to Dad, as he folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head to the side, eyeing me curiously. He frowned, and if he hadn't seemed concerned, I would've thought the look in his eyes was one of disapproval. He cleared his throat gently, causing me to make eye contact. "Is something the matter, Hon?"

I scooped up the box and paced over to the other dirty table, slightly tensing as I felt Dad's eyes follow me. I set the box down and shot him a cheerful smile over my shoulder, my thick braid swinging around. "What are you talking about, Dad? I'm ok."

I went to work removing the stubborn stain and sweeping the crumbs off the seats of the chairs, glancing at the wall clock perched behind the main counter. Fifteen more minutes before the Supermarket closed. I had to hurry... The stain was removed soon enough, and I quickly collected the crumbs and discarded them in the trash. Then I tossed the sponge, cloth, and spray bottle into the box and picked it up with one hand. The other snatched up the broom leaning against one of the chairs. I was so focused on getting this done that I had forgotten Dad was still here, as he questioned knowingly, "Are you sure about that?"

I stopped in my tracks at his words, raising an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"There's been something different about you lately," Dad replied. "It's not like you to be careless when it comes to cleaning, and your frequently breaking dishes concerns me..."

My face began to grow warm, and I couldn't look him in the eyes at this point. "Uh, it's nothing...nothing important," I stammered, hating my horrible attempt to remain casual. "I, uh, I've just been thinking about stuff." _My Goddess, that sounded lame..._

"Stuff," Dad repeated amusedly, rubbing his moustache now. I thought he was hiding a smile behind his hand as he added, "And would this 'stuff' have anything to do with going out to see a certain guy today?"

I gasped beneath my breath, my eyes wide with shock. A wave of embarrassment swept over me as I scoffed. "Oh, Dad! How could you ask that?" Before he had a chance to answer, I briskly walked over to the side door, kicked it open, and marched to the back to put away the cleaning supplies. Then I returned to the main area, peeking at the clock again as I reached for my lengthy, white winter coat. If I left now, I'd still be able to buy some chocolates and make it to the farm on time...

Slipping it on, I touched one of the pockets. Yes, the gold pieces were still there. I began to button up, contemplating whether or not I should wear a scarf too. After all, it had been colder than usual recently.

"So you _are_ going out?"

I turned around to face Dad slowly, frowning and looking at him exasperatedly. Why was he still... "Yeah, Dad," I confirmed quietly, shoving my hands in my pockets. I glanced between him and the floor, feeling shy suddenly. "Is that ok? I mean, I'll stay and help if there's still more work to be done. I just..."

Dad interrupted my words with a hearty guffaw, coming close to hook an arm around my shoulders. "Of course you can take some time off, Annie! You act like I work you to the bone! Just be sure to pick up some coconut cream pie for your old man, will ya?" The blank expression on my face only made him laugh again, and he hugged me close. "Just kidding."

He fished through his shirt pocket and brought out a few more gold pieces, offering them to me. His voice became gentle then, and there was a loving smile in his eyes. "You don't have to say anything about it to me, but I hope Cliff appreciates this. Here's some extra money. The dark chocolate is a little more expensive, but I heard it's his favorite."

I blinked and stuttered as he dumped the coins in my hand. "I-I don't need this, Dad... I'm paying with my own money." A flood of heat colored my cheeks as I added very softly, "Besides, Jack likes milk chocolate best..."

I didn't have to look at my father to see the surprised expression on his face, and to say the least, he was a bit enthused. "Took a liking to the farmer boy, did you, Annie? Well, that's more then alright with me! Am I walking you down the aisle sometime?"

_Oh. my. goodness._

"Umm..see ya later, Dad!" I dismissed the conversation nervously and rushed out the door, dashing to the Supermarket as quickly as I could. Only when I made it inside did I calm down again, though getting away from my father did nothing to slow my rapid heartbeat nor cool my flushed face. _Geez, Dad,_ I thought, agitated. _Sometimes you take that sense of humor a little too far..._

As I stood in line to purchase chocolates, I thought about my father and my feelings about today. Dad had raised me alone since the time I was five years old, and never seemed to mind having a tomboy for a daughter. He let me dress and do as I pleased, though he did teach me to be responsible and how to cook and clean. 'Not because you're a girl and that's what you oughtta do,' he would say. 'It's a good thing for anyone to learn. It'll come in handy someday.' But I often wondered if it was something expected of me anyway... I tried not to give much thought to what I supposed was expected of me. I was just fine being who I was, and helping Dad with business and such. So what if I wasn't as feminine and softspoken as the other women, and didn't like to wear dresses and skirts? So what if I didn't give much thought to love and marriage? I was happy this way.

I _was_ happy this way...

My turn to purchase chocolates finally came, and as I told Jeff which type I wanted to buy, I heard familiar voices a few yards away. Quickly glancing over my shoulder, I saw Mary and her mother chatting as they shopped for groceries. Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. Although I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I couldn't help but hear them. But I wish I never did hear them, because when I learned that Mary planned to buy chocolates for Jack and take them to him too, a knot tightened in my stomach and I felt a pang of jealousy. But...why did I feel this way?

"Here you are, Ann," Jeff said as he slid the chocolates toward me, putting the money away in the cash register. "Have a nice day."

"Thanks," I murmured, taking the chocolates and leaving the store quickly, ignoring Mary's friendly eyes on me. As I headed toward the farm, my mind went back to the subject of happiness. As long as Dad was around and we stayed in Mineral Town, I was happy. I didn't need anything else. Until... he came along. Dad thought _he _was Cliff, the wandering vagrant who showed up in our hometown last year. Seeing that Cliff was a lonely, conflicted guy, Dad thought it was a good idea for me to make friends with him. I agreed, as there was no harm in being hospitable. But then things started getting weird when there was talk of us being a couple. Dad had speculated something was going on between us, especially when Cliff took a job at Duke and Manna's vineyard, and began living in one of our guestrooms. Maybe part of the speculation was a hope that I'd fall in love and settle down someday, but I don't think you can put all your hope in the first compatible guy that comes along...

_"Love... I don't need it."_

I remember saying that whenever the question of romance (or lack thereof) in my life came up, and I was proud to say I loved being independent, strong, ambitious... Didn't matter to me who knew about it, as long as they understood I had no intentions of falling in love. I think that backfired on me when it came to Jack... Like Cliff, he was a good friend of mine for a while. But like an idiot, I had to ruin our friendship with these stupid feelings I never had to deal with before... I honestly tried to stop them! But as I learned more about him, and learned to accept the compliments and gifts he'd give me, the more I thought maybe he'd be the type of guy I'd be interested in.

His fondness for cooking was great, something I never saw in Cliff. The very first thing I noticed about him was the fact that although he was quiet, he wasn't a pushover. He was hardworking and energetic, friendly and encouraging. I liked that a lot. And he had always been so nice to me. He had a really nice smile and laugh..deep, but warm. Maybe that was when I started to think he was cute...

Then I began to wonder what _he _thought was cute in a girl. I'd seen him interact with the other girls in town, and to be honest, it began to depress me a little..especially as time went by and I started to like him more and more. I knew that I wasn't as gorgeous as Karen, or as smart as Mary, or as sweet as Elli, or as cute as Popuri. So...what _did _I have that he could've possibly liked? I almost asked him one day..but instead changed my question to, "I suppose girls should be cute, right?"

He had sort of shrugged and nodded a bit, looking at me curiously. But he didn't say anything, and probably wondered why it mattered to me all of a sudden.

_Because I like you..._

When he brought me cookies for the Spring Thanksgiving Festival, I was honestly stunned. Surely he'd give cookies to, oh, I don't know...his sweetheart... and his gift would certainly be one given in appreciation and affection. So when he presented them to me, I couldn't help but be amazed. Forget the fact my heart stopped and I blushed so much that I probably matched the bandana he wore around his neck. He...he liked me too...!

And that's why I'd been thinking of the Winter Thanksgiving Festival ever since.

I wanted to let him know that I appreciated him too...a lot more than a good friend should. Though I had been adamant about the fact I didn't need love, I was ready to show him that I changed my mind about that...

The farm finally came into sight, and I took in a deep breath, trying to exhale most of my nervousness away. _Well, here goes nothing... _

I stood at the entrance of the farm, staring out at a vast wonderland covered in pure, ivory snow. Everything from the trees to the wooden fence was packed with snow, and I thought the beautiful scenery looked like it should be on a postcard. Smiling, I walked onto the farm and surveyed the land, searching for Jack. I found nothing, however, as only the wind greeted me. This was strange.. Suddenly, the sound of angry barking snapped me back to attention. Startled, I spun around and saw Jack's dog emerge from his doghouse, continuing his barking as he approached me.

I hugged the chocolates close to me and cautiously stepped back, raising a hand to hush him. "Shh!" I ordered, but the dog didn't listen as he edged closer, barking louder. I tried to silence him and wave him away, but it was to no avail. "Hush, you!" I meant to command, but instead came out as a plea. "There's no need for that. It's me, Ann! Calm down, little guy..."

Still he barked, and this time began to circle me, pausing to sniff me and then kept barking. "Argh!" I cried in frustration. "Stop that, Simon! That is your name, right? I know it starts with an S... Scotty? Spot? Argh..."

The dog continued to circle me, slowly at first, and I spun around with him, lest he bite the back of me. I guess he thought I was playing a game with him, since he began to circle me faster, his tail wagging a bit. He began to bark happily, and I sighed in relief as I knew he wouldn't attack me now. I began to step around him, still intent on the reason why I was here in the first place.

"Sam!"

The dog came to a halt immediately, and turned toward the farmhouse, standing at attention when the front door opened. His sudden lack of movement threw my momentum off, and I tripped over him in mid-circle, twirling as I crashed to the ground. "Sam!" came the voice again, and I picked up my face to see Jack standing in the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw me, and my immediate response was an embarrased blush which was that more evident against the snow. "Ann!" Jack exclaimed, rushing to my side. "Jack.." I groaned, wishing this never happened in front of him. Of all the times for an accident to happen...!

He extended a hand to help me up, and sheepishly looked me over in concern once I was on my feet. "Are you ok? I'm sorry about that." I nodded quickly, fixing the ribbon in my hair, when I noticed he gave me a confused look. I blinked at him, then paled as I suddenly realized it. _The chocolates!_ I thought in a panic. My jacket and jeans were stained with chocolate, most of which had fallen out of the box and onto the snow. Glancing at the ground, I saw that only a few pieces of chocolate remained in the lopsided box. _They're ruined! _I thought, mortified. _This whole holiday is ruined now..._

I remembered Jack was still looking at me, and my face went red again. I fought the urge to run away, despite the fact I wanted nothing more than to be in his presence. "I... they were for you," I mumbled, and turned away to pick up the box. Using one of the tissues inside, I began to collect the fallen chocolates, hating the fact they were now squashed and inedible. Jack knelt beside me and began to help, asking softly after a moment, "What happened anyway?"

I sighed, glancing at him angrily. "I wanted to give you chocolates for the Winter Thanksgiving Festival, but I met your dog first. He--"

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Jack interrupted worriedly. He glanced over his shoulder at his dog, who was sitting curiously by his doghouse.

I calmed down a bit, seeing his concern for me. "No, he didn't. I'm fine...but I fell over him as he was circling me and after you startled both of us when you came out of the house... and now everything's ruined."

Jack smiled a little, glancing between the ugly box, the chocolates, my stained clothes and my pouted, flushed face. "No, it's not," he said easily, reaching into the box and pulling out a chocolate. "There's still ten pieces left." He tossed it into his mouth and grinned again after consuming it. "Well, nine now."

A hint of a smile played at my lips as I imitated him, eating another piece of chocolate. "Eight..."

He ate another one, and licked his finger, savoring the taste. "Seven. These are delicious, by the way. Milk chocolate is my favorite."

"I know," I murmured, feeling my face warm up again. Geez, I needed to stop doing that in front of him. He looked up at me evenly, never seeming embarrassed, and smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Ann."

"Welcome...six," I continued, consuming another piece of chocolate.

"Five, four," he countered, snatching up two pieces and eating them at once. I laughed, feeling at ease finally. "No fair! Three, two," I stole them and shoved them in my mouth, grinning at him. Jack swiped the last piece, pretending he was going to eat it right away, but held it out to me instead. "One," he said gently.

"It's yours," I replied lightly. "They were for you after all."

He moved his hand closer. "I insist. I want you to have it."

"But I got them especially for you..."

I thought he blushed when I said that, but maybe it was the cold that made his cheeks red like that.. He seemed thoughtful for a minute before suggesting, "Tell ya what. How about we split it then? This is a pretty big piece anyway."

"Ok," I agreed, watching him as he tried to break it in two. After several failed attempts, he put it to his mouth, and his teeth did what his hands could not. He then sheepishly held out the other half to me, almost seeming to wonder if I'd eat it after his lips touched a part of it.

I did, and thought nothing else I had ever had in my whole life tasted sweeter.

Jack suddenly began to chuckle softly, and I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what on earth he found amusing. He stated before I could ask, "Your lips..." I blinked at him, wondering if this was some sort of sly trick to get a kiss out of me. If he wanted a kiss, all he had to do was ask... He slowly reached for my face, unknowingly causing my heartbeat to speed up. I felt his thumb at the corners of my mouth, and gazed at him curiously. What was he doing?

He brought his hand back to reveal smudges of chocolate on his thumb. I flushed again (darn it!), and opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I stuttered and turned crimson when I saw him bring his thumb to his lips, and neatly lick the chocolate off. He tilted his head to the side, smiling. "You alright?" he inquired teasingly, yet honestly. For some reason I couldn't explain, I felt nervous and amazed he would do such a thing. What the heck was he thinking?!

"A-Alright?" I repeated with a nervous laugh, slowly lowering my chin to my chest. "Um yeah. Er...um, I thought you were going to kiss me with you coming close to me like that."

An expression I had never seen before crossed his face, making it seem like it a thoughtful playfulness, or a flirty assurance. He whispered so quietly that I almost didn't hear it. "Do you want me to?"

My head immediately came up, and I gawked at him with wide eyes. "W-What?" I stammered softly.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" he asked calmly, as if he were talking about everyday topics like the weather. The serenity in his voice showed on his face, his brown eyes observing me patiently.

I crossed my arms defensively, giving him an incredulous look. "Are you teasing me?" I demanded, but my voice was soft with want. Still placid, he met my eyes confidently and replied, "No, I'm asking you a question. Do you want me to kiss you... Yes? No?"

I swallowed, my throat tight and my heartbeat rapid. "Maybe," I whispered, fidgeting with the box in my lap. I looked up when I heard Jack rise to his feet, and took his hand as he offered to help me up. Once I was standing, I began to pull away, but felt him hold onto my wrist. "H-Hey," I softly protested, but Jack pulled me into an embrace. I could hardly believe I was in his arms, my head so close to his chest. I turned a light hue of red and finally breathed. He gently pulled away, and his face was inches away from mine. "Gotta be a little more careful next time, Annie," he teased softly, referring to today's incident.

"Yeah, well, why don't you just shut up and kiss me already," I murmured, reaching for his bandana to pull him in closer.

His lips pressed against mine gently, and the feeling filled me with such happiness and warmth that I didn't know what to do with myself... I could faintly taste the sweetness of chocolate on his lips, and felt myself craving something, though I didn't know what. All I knew was that the kiss ended too quickly for me..

Jack grinned at me after the kiss, and declared seemingly in relief and satisfaction, "I've been wanting to do that for a while."

"Ha.." I breathed out a little laugh, feeling my face warm up again. I turned away slightly in his arms, not knowing what else to say. He lifted my chin up with a finger and smiled at me gently. "Happy Winter Thanksgiving, Ann."

A small smile of desire crossed my face. "Happy Winter Thanksgiving, Jack."

Did I ever mention that I love the holidays?

End.


End file.
